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GLOBAL FREIGHTWAYS
''HISTORY Founders were Orbit Airlines and World Travel Airlines, which provided the main part of the start-up capital, which was enough to buy two brand new Boeing 747-200F, of which the first one ( D-ASTR ) was picked up in Everett on the same day the company was founded. It departed on 19 November 1976 at 11:25 PM in Everett heading Stuttgart (EDDS), where it arrived in the evening of the next day, received by a large celebration. The second Jumbo Jet followed in May 1977. Global Freightways used the Jets in the next years mainly to the most important economic centers, especially between Germany and the USA. But also some charter flights, all over the world, where operated. In the early 90s, GFW had already a fleet of 23 B 747-200Fs and was already the biggest All Cargo Airline in the world. They started to expand their Services now to other European countries and opened stations there. In 1994 Global Freightways got independent of Orbit and World Travel Airlines and founded American Pacific Airways, in order to get a step into the market of passenger flights. In the next years, the business of GFW didn´t run well and Global Freightways had to sell plane after plane. The last B 747-200F was formally adopted on 20 November 2000, on Flight FM 076 from London to Los Angeles via Halifax. Afterwards the Plane approached it´s last Trip to Mojave Desert, to be scrapped. Global Freightways from now on was for a time without own aircrafts and only survived by chartering cargo planes for requested Cargo charter flights. In early 2001, GFW came after a hard winter in big financial problems. Due to the aggressive pricing policy of Airlines like Landmark and Soar Airlines, which offered their belly capacities very cheap, Global Freightways lost many profitable contracts with important forwarders. Finally, end of January 2001, the CEO convinced a large American Bank, with German base in Dusseldorf, to grant him a large loan to reorganize the airline. The convincing strategy was to buy more modern and also smaller planes, to be more profitable. However, the bank named as condition, that the head office of the airline is to be relocated to Frankfurt in order to be closer to the market. On 28 February 2001, the move was completed and Global Freightways received its first own jet since a time, a Boeing 747-400BDSF, which was used for cargo charter flights, with homebase at Frankfurt Airport. After all, the 23rd May 2001 was a Milestone for Global Freightways, when the young airline boss met the boss of Pacifica Airlines nearby Frankfurt, which was also a young woman. Both airline bosses understood each other so well, that they are a couple since this day. On 01 March 2002, the CEO of Global Freightways married with the airline boss of Pacifica Airlines and meanwhile they have childrens together. Both Airlines continued to operate independently. Meanwhile the South American routes are the Passion of GFW and an important pillar of the airline. In June 2002, Global Freightways was able to complete a great business with Cessna, as the financially troubled SOAR AIRLINES cancelled them an order with 389 brand new Cessna 172 Skyhawk and of which some were already produced. Logical that GFW benefited from high discounts and the company´s new strategy could finally be translated into reality. The first of these great aircrafts in neutral paint entered in Service on 15 December 2002, what was the beginning of a new era in the history of the airline. Global Freigthways finally made a step into the lucrative market of parcel and letter services. At the same time they signed contracts with hauliers, to be able to pick up and deliver the shipments with vehicles to and from nearly every place all over the world. GFW became now a competition for the national post services all over the world. At the same time, GFW became more independent of the forwarders, because they were selling a big part of their flights now more as scheduled flights and directly to companies and private clients. Although destinations in the Northern Hemisphere and the business of charter flights are still today the main business of the airline, since the Cessna 172 Skyhawk entered in the Fleet, a large part of the cargo capacity were sold now directly by Global Freightways to companies and private persons and Global Freightways is also flying to destinations in Africa, Australia and South America. Since then, the airline was profitable once again and the bank was convinced of the CEO´s course, they were in agree to relocate the head office once again back to Stuttgart, what was a big desire of the young airline boss. The move was completed in late 2003, when the company got offered a cheap deal to rent a office building near the Airport of Stuttgart. What stayed in Frankfurt, was the main operational base of Global Freightways. In 2004, GFW was changing the livery when picking up another B 747-400BCF. Nevertheless a part of the fleet was keeping the old, white, black and red livery. In late 2004, GFW could fix another great deal with Cessna. A competitor was cancelling them an Order with new Cessna 208B Caravans, which were now available for an incredible price. But Cessna named as condition, to overtake also huge number of Cessna 182 Skylanes, which were also availabe because of a cancelled order. For GFW this wasn´t a problem and only growth opportunity for the company. On 23 July 2005, GFW received their first new Cessna 182 Skylane, which was used for charter flights. Also charter passenger services from this day on were offered with the Cessna Fleet of the company. Since 2005, GFW expanded its route network to the whole world and won several awards. In recent years, especially for offering the best value for money compared with the competition. In 2006, the first Cessna Caravans were introduced and the airline once again changed the livery into grey, red and white, but the old fleet kept also their old livery, a big share till today, as the repaint is every time very expensive. On 01 March 2013 GLOBAL FREIGHTWAYS merged with PACIFICA AIRLINES. Both Airlines will continue to operate under their own established name, what makes sense because of the different activities in the Cargo and Passenger Areas. As parent company was founded the new Global Pacifica Flight Foundation ( GPFF ), with double headquarters in Arequipa and Göppingen. On 20th of July 2013, the father of the CEO, the former CEO of World Travel Airlines withdrew from business and overgave a part of its company. Global Freightsways build up a memorial of WTA´s CEO at its headquarters in Göppingen and helped to move World Travel Airlines to Los Angeles, what was a big desire from the father. On 25 July 2013, Global Pacifica Flight Foundation moved to its new headquarters in Göppingen, which is arround 40 kilometres away of the Airport of Stuttgart. The new building is more economic and cheaper. On 19 November 2013, Global Freightways picked up a B 747-400 from World Travel Airlines at Mojave Air & Space Port, which was mothballed there since 2008, because of the financial crisis. It was flown to Los Angeles Intl. Airport, where it departed on 24th of November, after a maintenance service, on the scheduled flight to Hamburg. On 26th of December it left as a charter flight, from Stuttgart to Hong Kong. After this it was flown to Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, where it was converted, in the record-breaking time till 1st of March 2014, into a Boeing 747-400 BCF. Then it was be ready to accommodate the Service for Global Freightways. The Aircraft now have the registration D-AFSM, with which it was picked up already at Mojave Air & Space Port. Global Freightways is still very satisfied with it´s Boeing 747-400BCF Fleet, even if this fleet is already getting on in years. But the CEO means that this aircraft is still able to operate very reliable & profitably, when it´s used intelligent for the correct routes. So no chance for the B 777F or other aircrafts in it´s fleet. FACTS '' ''FLEET:'' Fleet (18) Boeing 747-400BCF (1 has been lost) (56) Cessna 208B (2) Cessna 182 Skylane (105) Cessna 172 Skyhawk Scheduled Flights with Boeing 747-400BCF '' ''Incidents and Accidents On 9 August, 1991, Global Freightways Flight 5683, a Boeing 747-200F flying from Madrid to Halifax, was damaged upon landing when the nose gear suddenly collapsed. No one was injuried in the incident. The aircraft was repaired and resumed service. On Feburary 23, 2010, Global Freightways Flight 4532, a Cessna Caravan 208, while taking off from Enontekio Airport in Northern Finland during a snowstorm at night experienced a stall shortly after taking off. The aircraft crashed into a snowy bank. Captain Peter James, 52 died on his way to the hospital while First Officer Katherine Curtis, 24 survived. Accident is still under investigation. On November 21, 2017, Global Freightways Flight 369 ,a Boeing 747-446BDSF travelling from London to Newark, on approach to Newark Liberty International Aiport encountered severe loss of airspeed due to high turbulence in the area caused by an heavy rainstorm. At less than 1 km from the threshold of runway 22R the aircraft entered in a wind shear and stalled for a short period before the tail hit a tree and the plane lost control, crashing in the airport's economic parking yard P6. 13 people on the ground and 2 crew members died in the accident. Only the Copilot miraculously survived. The plane was sent to a scrapyard and now resides half-crumbling in the Mojave Desert.